Submitted by
long_h_lam
a Weekend Warrior
from London, England
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2009
Strengths: - Power. Best V-brakes I've used to date, except maybe for the Magura HS33 (hydraulic rims).
- Excellent modulation.
- Easy to adjust to get max power.
Weaknesses: None for the price
Bottom Line:
One of the best v-brakes on the market, very easy to adjust to get the right setup. Has adjustable modulation for adjusting feel, very smooth to operate.
I tried to get another set a few months ago, but they sold out :o(
Similar Products Used: Lots of Shimano v-brakes, Deore, LX, Alivio, etc.
Tektro v-brakes (cheap ones)
Magura HS33
Bike Setup: Marin Quake 9.0 2001 model (Manitou X-Vert, XT rear, LX front), downhill frame, double butted and reinforced ALU.
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Submitted by
headwerkn
a Weekend Warrior
from Hobart, TAS, Australia
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2009
Strengths: Hugely powerful, look trick, cheaper than discs (at the time)
Weaknesses: Could get noisy, not immune to water/mud, replacement pads weren't cheap, disc brakes are now affordable.
Bottom Line:
It was nearly 10 years ago but I still remember the day a mate and I picked up our new FSR Extremes from the shop. The guy warned us about the brakes... "These are stronger than any brake you've used before, go easy with them".. we just grinned and thought yeah yeah whatever dude and rode off... come to the first traffic light and we both nearly endo-ed over the bars.
Bike Setup: singlespeed xile, FSA BB and headset, truvativ hussefelt cranks maxxis holy rollers
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Submitted by
Matt K
a Weekend Warrior
from Pretoria, South Africa
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2006
Strengths: Extremely powerful! Great Modulation, well designed. Makes endos easy.
Weaknesses: If your rim is not perfectly trued then adjusting becomes a bit difficult by nothing too bad. as powerful as discs but weaker in mud and rain
Similar Products Used: tektro v brake, clarks pads, kool stops
Bike Setup: giant 06 boulder
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Submitted by
Ben Tisdale
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, TX
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2005
Strengths: Well engineered, awesome looks, cheap, easy to adjust
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
These are the best v brakes I have ever tried. On my first ride I almost went over the bars because I under estimated their power. Damn good product. I don't understand how anyone could be unhappy with them. The complainers are probably not as honest as they would have you believe. Get'em and forget 'em!
Bike Setup: Specialized M2, Spinergy Rev-x Rox, Race Face Cranks
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Submitted by
Lindsay D
a Cross Country Rider
from St. Louis Park, MN, USA
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2005
Strengths: -Ease of setup & maintainance. -Very little adjustment to switch between wheels with different rim widths. -Stopping power!
Weaknesses: Ummm... nobody gave them to me for free?
Bottom Line:
These are great. Buy 'em. I'm the parts buyer for a shop in Minneapolis, and as much as the nifty new technology is nifty and new, more often than not I see that stuff in the shop while the people with regular stuff are out riding and not wondering why their expensive crap doesn't work for, well, crap. I've got two rules of thumb for disc brakes: 1) Disc on a cross-country hardtail? 2) For full-suspension, if your suspension travel is smaller than the diameter of a disc rotor, why bother, Evel Knievel?
Bike Setup: Gunnar Rockhound (steel, baby.) w/SRAM 9.0, TruVativ cranks, LX/Salsa wheels, and an old, inexpensive, but reliable and easily adjustable Judy SL fork.
Strengths: Very easy to install, set up, and adjust. All adjustments can be made with an allen wrench.
Weaknesses: the SD 7 levers bend very easily
Bottom Line:
Vey easy to install and set up. With the Speed Dial levers you can adjust the feel with the turn of a knob. They provide braking power comparable to the Avid mechanical disks (in dry conditions, and as long as you're using ceramic rims) and better then any other rim brakes I've tried (including XTR). It's very nicely made (espescially for the price) and has a look of quality. And they don't squeal. The arch seems to catch leaves a little ealier than regular v-brakes. I got mine as a package deal with SD-7 levers from Price Point and the levers are also well made and have a great shape, but they bent very easily. I bent mine on the first crash (a slow speed endo onto rocks) and was able to bend it back by hand. They're cheap to replace, though. I've only got one ride on the system but so far so good.
Similar Products Used: Avid Single Digit, Shimano XTR
Bike Setup: Sugar freme, Bomber Z3 fork, ceramic rims
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Submitted by
George F
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2005
Strengths: VERY POWERFUL brakes! These things WILL stop on a dime! I was amazed at how well these babies work. Comes with a built in brake booster. Also amazingly light. VERY impressed.
Weaknesses: None, still work great like the 1st time I tried them a year ago.
Bottom Line:
SUPER brakes! Very powerful and strudy. Very very light aswell.
Bike Setup: Marin Novato Triple Butted 7005 Aluminum Edge Tubed Frame, Mavic Crossrides, Bontrager Comfort K Hardcase Tires, Rock Shocks Jett 2, Kore Elite XC Comp Handlebars, Kore lite 3 Stem, Avid Arch Rival V-Brakes, Avid Speed Dial SD 2.0L Brake Levers, TruVativ 5D Crank, WTB Momentum Comp ST Headset, WTB Rocket V Saddle, Sette 7 APX seat post, Shimano XT Derailleurs, Cateye Wireless 7 computer, Profile briefs bar Ends, BLT mini-Doppler Light.
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Submitted by
todd
a Cross Country Rider
from garner
Date Reviewed: December 23, 2004
Strengths: They have great stopping power.
Bottom Line:
These things work great. I'm a heavy rider and have never had a problem slowing down with them. I've been running this style brake for over 4 years now and can't see myself switching. Best rim brakes around.
Submitted by
edouble
a Cross Country Rider
from wyandanch,ny
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2004
Strengths: great stopping power and modulation.
Weaknesses: dont look as sleek as the ultimates
Bottom Line:
for those who say these brakes have no stopping power i say this. im 6ft. 2in. and 245 lbs of muscle and when i put the hammer down my bikes mooove. yet ive had zero broblems braking, even when im flying downhill. if your having problems its not the brakes, that leaves you with one other option. ill let you figure it out.
Bike Setup: i use these brakes on both my voodoo bizango and my jamis dragon. steel baby, all the way all day!.
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Submitted by
Glenn
a Weekend Warrior
from Auckland NZ
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2004
Strengths: Modulation, stopping power and easy to adjust.
Weaknesses: None as yet.
Bottom Line:
My bike originally had dia comp brakes, which really are the crappiest i've ever used, specialized must have got em for free cos you definitely would'nt pay for em. Anyway after scaring myself too many times and doing some homework, i upgraded to these with speed dial 7 levers. They took about 1/2 an hour to install, aligned themselves first time and stop me sled like a treat. As a result my riding has improved and i feel more confident in the hairy stuff. They also have more modulation and power than some disc units i've tried, go figure!! Great for the price and they look good too. Speed dial 7 levers a must, they will work with other avids i.e. 1.0l but not as good.
Bike Setup: Now that would be telling, although its a specialized.
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Submitted by
SCOTT
a Weekend Warrior
from Lakewood, Colo.
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2004
Strengths: 1.BRAKING POWER WITH ADJUSTABILITY 2.LOOKS 3.RETAIL PRICE ESPECIALLY FROM VENDERS LIKE PRICE POINT.
Weaknesses: 1. CABLES AND LEVERS ON LOWER END MODELS ARE LAME!!!
Bottom Line:
I ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH HAVING TO PULL SUPER-HARD ON THE LEVERS TO GET THESE BRAKES TO STOP! MY HANDS WERE WORN OUT AFTER A LONG DESCENT! I REPLACED THE DIGIT 5 LEVERS AND THE CABLES WITH 7 LEVERS AND KEVLAR FLAK JACKET CABLES. IT FINALLY WORKS LIKE I HOPED IT WOULD!!! ARE ARCH RIVALS WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY? LETS JUST SAY I HAD EQUAL OR BETTER BRAKING WITH THE DIGIT 7'S AND I COULD HAVE USED THE MONEY I SAVED TO BUY A NIFTY MULTI-TOOL OR SOMETHING. AT LEAST THE BRAKES LOOK COOL...
Similar Products Used: 1. AVID SINGLE DIGIT 7'S WITH MATCHING LEVERS. 2. AVID 3'S WITH AVID 5 LEVERS.
Bike Setup: 04 STUMPJUMPER WITH AVID ARCH RIVAL BRAKES, DIGIT 7 LEVERS, AND FLAK JACKET CABLES. CARBON BAR ENDS AND NEW GRIPS. ALL ELSE IS STOCK.
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Submitted by
Mike Sullivan
a Cross Country Rider
from Overland Park KS USA
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2004
Strengths: Supposedly amazing stopping power
Weaknesses: makes the rear stays flex almost as much as a full carbon bike like the 9.8
Bottom Line:
dude i installed these brakes looking for something with amazingly good stopping power and looks good too. THEY HAVE only LOOKED GOOD. i hate everything about them! they stop worse than a pair of generic low end tektro brakes. THEY STINK. the tension on the left side is all screwed up and it doesn't stop unless you freaking pull lever to your bars. i have tried almost everything i could to fix them and i can't so im going to sell them for a quarter hahaha thats all they are worth to me.
Similar Products Used: avid single digit 7s stuff of that nature.
Bike Setup: gary fisher sugar 3+ black adjustable fork, xt front xtr rear, xt shifters and xt cranks.
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Submitted by
syammim arifin
a Cross Country Rider
from shah alam, malaysia
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2003
Strengths: Low load sensitivity due to the parallel push
Weaknesses: A little hard to clear out the linkage in case of detaching the wheels.
Bottom Line:
Better modulation, less sensitivity to brake load making your braking maneuver less susceptible to lockups. Works transparently. Gets a lot of attention too.
Bike Setup: Rusty hardrock with no stock parts xcept for the friggin 31.7 mm diameter seatpost
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Submitted by
Houston
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2003
Strengths: Everything. These breaks rock. They breaking is strong and reliable. They were easy to set up, they clean up easily. Good support from Avid if anything breaks. A reasonable alternative to disc breaks at an excellent price.
Weaknesses: Sometimes a little too strong. A little heavier than some of Shimano's breaks.
Bottom Line:
Great product. Great Company. If you want a good solid breaking system, these are the breaks to have. Speed Dial levers are also recomeneded.
